Loyola (11-4) at Duke (12-5)

Loyola (11-4) at Duke (12-5)

Kenneth K. Lam, Baltimore Sun

Reason to watch: The 2012 champs travel the bumpy road to Durham, N.C. This is a first-round game with the feel of Championship Weekend. Background checks: Loyola is 1-5 all-time on the road in the first round. Duke has been to six straight national semifinals, and coach John Danowski is 6-0 at home in the first round. Star power: Duke's speedy attackman Jordan Wolf (47, 21) dodges like a sports car swerving and buzzing past you on the highway. Faceoff machine Brendan Fowler, a two-sport athlete and former walk-on, tilts the possession advantage in the Blue Devils' favor. Hounds defender Joe Fletcher, one of my favorites, draws the Wolf assignment. Sniper Mike Sawyer (34 goals, center in photo) is from Charlotte, N.C., and will want to shine in front of friends and family. What could make the difference? Revenge. Duke won the regular-season game in Durham, 9-8. Loyola's offense was stationary, right-handed and turnover-prone. The Hounds looked worn-out in the fourth quarter. First-line midfielder Josh Hawkins did not play because of a suspension. Goaltending also could be decisive. Both teams are inconsistent between the pipes.

Reason to watch: The 2012 champs travel the bumpy road to Durham, N.C. This is a first-round game with the feel of Championship Weekend. Background checks: Loyola is 1-5 all-time on the road in the first round. Duke has been to six straight national semifinals, and coach John Danowski is 6-0 at home in the first round. Star power: Duke's speedy attackman Jordan Wolf (47, 21) dodges like a sports car swerving and buzzing past you on the highway. Faceoff machine Brendan Fowler, a two-sport athlete and former walk-on, tilts the possession advantage in the Blue Devils' favor. Hounds defender Joe Fletcher, one of my favorites, draws the Wolf assignment. Sniper Mike Sawyer (34 goals, center in photo) is from Charlotte, N.C., and will want to shine in front of friends and family. What could make the difference? Revenge. Duke won the regular-season game in Durham, 9-8. Loyola's offense was stationary, right-handed and turnover-prone. The Hounds looked worn-out in the fourth quarter. First-line midfielder Josh Hawkins did not play because of a suspension. Goaltending also could be decisive. Both teams are inconsistent between the pipes. (Kenneth K. Lam, Baltimore Sun)

Reason to watch: The 2012 champs travel the bumpy road to Durham, N.C. This is a first-round game with the feel of Championship Weekend. Background checks: Loyola is 1-5 all-time on the road in the first round. Duke has been to six straight national semifinals, and coach John Danowski is 6-0 at home in the first round. Star power: Duke's speedy attackman Jordan Wolf (47, 21) dodges like a sports car swerving and buzzing past you on the highway. Faceoff machine Brendan Fowler, a two-sport athlete and former walk-on, tilts the possession advantage in the Blue Devils' favor. Hounds defender Joe Fletcher, one of my favorites, draws the Wolf assignment. Sniper Mike Sawyer (34 goals, center in photo) is from Charlotte, N.C., and will want to shine in front of friends and family. What could make the difference? Revenge. Duke won the regular-season game in Durham, 9-8. Loyola's offense was stationary, right-handed and turnover-prone. The Hounds looked worn-out in the fourth quarter. First-line midfielder Josh Hawkins did not play because of a suspension. Goaltending also could be decisive. Both teams are inconsistent between the pipes.Kenneth K. Lam, Baltimore Sun